Thoughts, conversations, and dreams, all made into love notes from me to you.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Living in freedom

The past several days have been interesting. I say that knowing that 'interesting' is an understatement. One of the biggest roles of Satan is to hit us when we're weak. Satan also knows where to pull out our footing in hopes we might fall off the path. Here in Green Lake I have been planning ministry classes and worship services for the upcoming weeks. Planning has been going really well and my relationships with the staff have been growing. Basically, life is great.

Just this past Tuesday I received a message from the dealer I bought my car from saying that Capital One can't finance me because I'm a 1099 worker. I knew from the start that was wrong, but it continued to bug me. Even with the encouraging voice of my mother and friends I still found myself stressed. The more I thought I found that my stress derived from the thought that I might have to return my car or drive back to Chicago. When the problem should have been that I would miss at least two days of ministry with the students. Gosh darn-it! I can't believe I let my focus slip just because of a material possession.

Unfortunately, this is where we slip up the most. This my friends is when and where Satan attacks. He goes for the thing that will make us most mad and then he twists the knife around to agitate it. The agitation for me came when I couldn't get a hold of the people that I needed to contact or when the person I called couldn't even speak English. I let all of those things bother me and strip me of grace.

But! God's awesome timing left me feeling encouraged and uplifted. About the same time I received all this bad news I received an email from a friend. This email was so encouraging and exciting. I walked away ready to face this mess. I felt like a stoked 5th grader who just chugged a bottle of Sunny D'. I felt great.

The lesson from this story is that Satan always comes after God's children when they're at their best. He tries to make us feel alone and unloved. Anything we do, he tries to play ourselves against ourself. Satan is the master of lies and he is constantly trying to defeat us. He sneaks in and stabs what seems to be the only vulnerable spot. Satan is not stupid. That's why it's pertinent that as Christians we pray that we continue to pray through these attacks and praise God even though things are not so great. Anyway Satan can get to us he will, it's our job to face him headfirst and worship God through everything...even the frustrations of dealing with car dealerships and financial departments.

Just this past week I had a student come to me with struggles of lust and sexual impurity. He told me that the as he began to accept Christ's redeeming love he felt the filth of sin leave him. This is the freedom Paul speaks about in his letter to the Romans. Paul speaks directly about the bondage of sin being lifted to those that receive God's grace. What an amazing claim to pray over a student. I was so encouraged by the Holy Spirit. Praise God!

We are no longer bound to sin's chains. We are made alive through Christ's sacrifice. Rejoice in knowing that Satan has been defeated!

Live in the freedom we have in Christ!

Romans 6:6-14

"For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin."

8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

11"In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."